Polyetherimides are a class of high performance polymers that can be processed to make molded articles, fibers, films, foams, stock shapes, and the like. Polyetherimides further have high strength, toughness, heat resistance, modulus, and broad chemical resistance, and so are widely used in industries as diverse as automotive, telecommunication, aerospace, electrical/electronics, transportation, and healthcare. Polyetherimides have shown versatility in various manufacturing processes, proving amenable to techniques including injection molding, extrusion, and thermoforming, to prepare various articles.
Polyetherimides are also known for high heat distortion temperatures and high glass transition temperatures, making their use as coatings, molded articles, composites, and the like very attractive where high temperature resistance is desired. As such, these polymers have found wide use in shaped articles, sheet materials, and coatings for use in challenging physical environments such as aerospace applications, lighting applications, and automotive applications. Due to their high glass transition temperature and high melt viscosity, however, polyetherimides can be difficult to process into finished products.
There remains a continuing need for a polyetherimide having high heat performance, reflow capability, excellent dimensional stability, and low water uptake, in particular for optoelectronic applications.